Mother of All Battles (Japanese: バンギラスとヨーギラス！Bangiras and Yogiras!) is the 264th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on September 5, 2002 and in the United States on September 15, 2003.

Contents

Synopsis

Ash, Misty, and Brock are walking to Ranger Mason’s Pokémon Preserve to return the Larvitar entrusted to them by Professor Elm. They stop for lunch and Misty bends down to ask Larvitar if its food’s good. He replies that it is instead of using Harden like it used to. Brock picks up Larvitar and they keep walking.

Soon, they reach a bridge. While they are deciding whether to continue on the path or take the bridge, Larvitar runs across the bridge. The group follows, deciding that he’s leading them to his birthplace. While they are crossing, a periscope rises from the water watching them.

On the other side, Ash and his friends find themselves walking through a forest. In the bushes, a machine is hidden with its periscope aimed at them. It’s the same periscope. Inside are three men in chairs. They see Larvitar and plan to steal it.

Ash and his friends stop when they see a huge Pokémon in front of them. Ash holds up his Pokédex and it told him that it is a Tyranitar. They recognized it as Larvitar’s mother because of the scar on its chest. Tyranitar looks at Larvitar and then Ash. It gets angry and fires a Hyper Beam at them. Brock realizes that it probably thinks they are the poachers. They run away, leaving Larvitar with its mother. Ash looks back and sees Larvitar crying and running behind them, despite Ash telling him to stay.

Meanwhile, the machine takes aim at Tyranitar’s head. Ash tells Larvitar to tell its mom that they’re friends. He sets him down and he starts screeching. Tyranitar gets it and becomes calm. Just then, the periscope locks on and fires at Tyranitar. A bag wraps itself around her and she falls down. The machine rides out and the three men pop out of the top. Our heroes recognize them as the poachers who stole Larvitar when he was just an Egg.

They introduce themselves as Braggo, the leader who always speaks in rhyme and quotes, Chico, the inventor for the group, and Blurt, who calls himself the strong and silent type who always breaks things and talks a lot. They say they are together the Pokémon Poacher Brothers.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is watching from above with their binoculars. James is discouraged by the fact that the poachers have good equipment, and can make rhymes. Jessie says a terrible rhyme furthering James’s point. Jessie states that if they can’t beat them, then they will join them, steal their equipment and Pokémon, and leave. Meowth and James agree.

The poachers launch another body bag at Larvitar and Ash jumps in the way, catching him. The poachers decide that Tyranitar is good enough and drive away. Brock sends out Crobat to follow them. A few seconds later, a lady rides up on a motorcycle and asks if everything’s okay. Brock rushes up and says that everything is okay now. She says that she’s Ranger Mason and that the poachers have been bothering them for quite some time. She tells her Croconaw to get Ash out of the body bag. They get Ash out and Ranger Mason tells Larvitar that they’re going to get his mother back. He hardens and Brock says he doesn’t warm up to people quickly.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is begging to be accepted into the poachers’ gang. They give them massages, and then they’re accepted. Crobat peeks over the side of the robot and flies back to Brock. Braggo lets them use the robot to capture Larvitar and Pikachu, saying to his brothers that they will be cover to let them escape. Tyranitar struggles in its body bag. Chico laughs, saying that the more she struggles, the tighter the bag will become.

Crobat finds Brock and reports back, and soon after the poachers’ robot came down the hill towards them. Team Rocket pops out and recites their motto, and then fires the bag. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, and Croconaw uses Hydro Pump. That sends the bag back at Team Rocket and sends them blasting off again. The real poachers, however, are getting away in Team Rocket’s balloon. Chico uses a remote control to grab Pikachu and Croconaw, and then shoots a body bag at our heroes for good measure. Ash tells Larvitar to use Screech, distracting the poachers and making Tyranitar angry. She fires a few Hyper Beam at the bag. Chico presses a button on a Remote, elecrocuting Tyranitar, but despite the Pain, It starts bites through and fires a Hyper Beam at the Balloon. as The poachers plummeted down to earth, Chico drops the Remote which breaks into Pieces after it lands on the Ground, freeing the Humans from the Poke-Bag. Larvitar has a reunion with Tyranitar, They see the banged up poachers jump into the robot and as the Robot was about to Crush the Gang, Tyranitar and Larvitar launch Hyper Beam and Hidden Power respectively. Ash catches Pikachu while Brock gets landed on by Croconaw. Larvitar and Tyranitar hug.

In the next scene the poachers are tied up and Ash and friends are saying their goodbyes. They say goodbye to the Rangers and leave. Brock says a tearful goodbye to Ranger Mason and gets dragged away by Misty by the ear for his trouble. While they are walking they hear a roar and see Tyranitar and Larvitar on the other side. They say goodbye and continue on their way to the Johto Silver Conference.

The end shows Team Rocket hanging upside down from a bridge in a body bag.

James expresses jealousy that Braggo is able to speak in rhyme, and Jessie tries unconvincingly to demonstrate her ability to rhyme. This is ironic, because Team Rocket's rhymes and puns are a running gag.

Errors

in the Spanish Version, You can hear Braggo saying in English "Time to Cash in Your Chips" alongside the Spanish Version.